Smart ForTwo Comes Out on Top in Roof-Strength Test

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has released the results of its first crash test to determine roof strength for small cars. Only one of the six cars tested — the Smart ForTwo — earned the top rating of Good. The Honda Fit, Hyundai Accent, Mini Cooper and Toyota Yaris earned Acceptable ratings, while the Chevy Aveo managed only a Marginal rating.

These new tests are important because they will be included in the 2010 Top Safety Pick awards that IIHS hands out. The roof tests require a car to withstand a force four times the vehicle’s weight per 5 inches of crushed area. That produces a strength-to-weight ratio. A ratio of 4 is the minimum to earn a Good rating, 3.25 is minimum for an Acceptable rating and 2.5 for Marginal. Anything below that is a Poor. The Smart Fortwo earned a 5.4 rating.

IIHS points to rollover crashes accounting for 10,000 deaths a year as the main reason to add the roof test to its side, rear and frontal crash tests. However, IIHS points out that while a strong roof helps prevent injuries after a rollover, the cars themselves should be more stable to prevent such accidents. The Smart ForTwo has a three-star rollover rating from the government, while the Fit, Cooper and Yaris have four-star rollover ratings.

Last year, 84 vehicles earned Top Safety Pick status, including the Honda Fit, which looks to lose that status with its score of Acceptable in the roof test. 

Recall Alert: 2006-07 Toyota Yaris

Toyota has issued a recall for 130,000 Toyota Yaris vehicles from the 2006 and 2007 model years. In a statement from Toyota, the automaker warned that the mechanism that tightens the seat belt strap expels a gas in the event of a “severe front-end collision.” This gas could cause a nearby foam pad — used for sound insulation — to ignite and start a fire.

According to Toyota, this has not actually happened in the U.S., but the recall includes 1.3 million vehicles worldwide that are based on the same platform as the Yaris (on other shores, that would be the Vitz and the Ractis). They didn’t comment on whether or not this phenomenon has been reported elsewhere.

Toyota is in the process of contacting owners by letter. Dealers will replace the defective mechanism free of charge. For more information, contact Toyota at 888-270-9371 or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration hotline at 888-327-4236.

Toyota Recalls 130,000 US Yaris Cars, 1.3M Total (Forbes)

2009 Toyota Yaris Pricing, Pics, Plus New Four-Door Hatch

People who shop economy cars were quite excited when Toyota announced it would bring the four-door hatchback version of its Yaris to the U.S. for 2009. It joins the existing two-door hatch and sedan in the lineup. All three will go on sale later this month.

The base two-door hatch starts at $12,205, $655 more than the 2008 model. New this year across the model lineup are standard side-impact airbags, a very important safety feature for such a small car. Estimated mileage for all three is 29/35 mpg city/highway with the automatic transmission and 29/36 mpg with the manual. Check below for full prices and pictures.

2009 Toyota Yaris Adding Standard Side Airbags

Today, Toyota confirmed it would make side airbags standard for the 2009 model year Yaris. According to IIHS crash tests, the 2008 Yaris got top marks when equipped with the then-optional side airbags. Without them, it received the lowest side crash-test scores. 

Toyota spokesman Bill Kwong said there’s no official word that the four-door Yaris hatchback — currently on sale in other markets — will go on sale in the U.S. when the rest of the 2009 lineup goes on sale this fall, but the four-door hatch was mentioned during a recent conference call with Toyota executives and the media.

With the current hunger for all things efficient and affordable here in the States, we’d think selling the four-door Yaris hatchback would be a smart move. Standard side airbags make the 2009 Yaris a much smarter choice regardless.